


Senior Quotes

by Sophie



Category: Hero - Perry Moore
Genre: Established Relationship, High School, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 18:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5466653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophie/pseuds/Sophie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thom did his best to be a normal teenager. Really, he tried hard. It was even kind of a success.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Senior Quotes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tulina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tulina/gifts).



> Happy holidays!

In retrospect, it was surprising that no other teacher had brought it up before. When the government teacher opened his class on Thursday with, “This summer, we were all witnesses to the most important historical event of the century,” I wished very, very hard that I had Mom's powers. Then, I thought about how the century really wasn't far along at all and what was to say that something else even more important wouldn't happen in the nearish future? It was like when movie critics proclaimed a movie 'The Movie Of The Year' in January. We had to slow down here; the century was just getting started!

That didn't stop the teacher from keeping on going, talking about how we could very well all be dead right now, how we were in an era where we had next to no power, ultimately, because some beings were too powerful, and what did we all think about how it had been possible for someone we had all trusted for years to have had the means to blow up the planet? That was worse than a nuclear war! He could have _blown up the entire planet_.

“ _I_ never trusted him,” said a guy named Brian who was also in my calculus class.

“Oh, come on!” retorted a (dyed-)red-headed girl, rolling her eyes. “As if. Why wouldn't you trust _Justice_? You're just saying that to sound cool, but you liked him just as much as everyone last year.”

“No, I didn't,” sneered Brian. “You won't catch me trusting no aliens.”

“Wouldn't that be racist?” asked another guy with long dark hair, his voice slow and calm. I agreed and cheered for him. In my mind.

“It's not racist if they're _aliens_ ,” another girl said. She was in my English class. Her name started with A. Annie? Amy? I couldn't remember. “We don't know anything about them; they're from another planet! And now Justice tried to destroy _ours_ to go back to whatever might be left of his. I think we have our reasons not to trust any of them.”

“What? Because _one_ alien turned out evil? What about the other dozen or so that have been helpful and totally nice since forever? It's like all the racists who think black people are all criminals because sometimes a minority of them do illegal things. That's everyone ever, you know. Plenty of humans are evil and I don't see you not trusting _anyone_ ,” answered the redhead in one breath, not sounding angry but definitely not sounding nice about it either. Dad would have said she was strongly opinionated. I was definitely starting to like her.

“Blacks can't go through walls or, you know, blow up the planet,” A-something said.

I thought that would have been a good moment for the teacher to intervene and maybe make other students talk. Or start teaching, even. But he was looking at the class with a pleased expression on his face. Oh, man, I thought, he was the kind of teacher who _wanted_ debates and wanted his students to develop opinions.

“I don't think any of the current superheroes can blow up the planet,” another student pitched in in a small voice. “I mean— even Justice couldn't, right? He was going to use that thing under the Wilson Tower to do it.”

“What about the ones who can go through walls, though, what stops them from just robbing banks?” Brian said, and I was happier and happier that not everyone shared his opinion in the class and that some people were willing to argue with him.

“Laws and surveillance cameras. And, you know, their morality,” the redhead answered, sounding a bit annoyed. “I sure hope the main reason _you're_ not robbing banks is that you know it's bad and not, you know, because you don't think you could get inside the vault.”

“No _ad hominem_ attacks,” intervened the teacher, “but I find the question of whether we act in the morally 'good' way because of our own beliefs or because of laws a very interesting one, although a bit off-topic.”

Brian was glaring at the redhead and she was glaring right back. And then, he stopped looking at her and looked right at me. Our eyes met and it only made his expression angrier.

“I think,” he said slowly, never looking away from me, “that superheroes should be monitored by the government.”

_What?_

My eyes widened in shock and I looked around me and there were people nodding. I couldn't believe it. Not everyone, not even half the class, but people _agreed_. That was how scared they were of superheroes; that was what Justice had left behind.

A few seconds of silence followed during which every single pair of eyes in the room turned to stare at me, expecting me to say something. I just wanted to stand up and leave the classroom.

“Thom? What's your take on this?” the teacher asked, and I wondered if it was too late to decide I didn't want to take Government anymore.

I stayed silent for a while, until it was clear that I wasn't going to get out of answering, so I stared at my hands on my desk and muttered, “I think that I wasn't expecting anyone to debate my right to freedom and to privacy during a government class in the United States.”

It was a more snappy answer that I usually dared to give to a teacher, but it made him decide the introductory debate was over and he asked us to get our textbooks out, so I decided it had been a good answer.

*

“Brian and Ali are assholes,” said the redhead, following me after class. “Don't mind them.”

“Thanks,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“I'm Kathy, by the way.”

“Uh. Hi.” I extended my hand, and she shook it, giggling.

“Well, wasn't _that_ formal. So. Do you wanna eat with me? I eat with a small group of people already. You'll like them. Vero, Yasmine, Jason, Karl?” She started enumerating, and I didn't recognize any of the names, which she could tell. “It's okay; you'll get to know them.”

I followed her because I didn't have a group of friends to eat with anyway and I did like her. Apparently, she and her friends ate in one of the second-floor classrooms, and she had shortened the list a bit because there were nearly a dozen teenagers in the room when we arrived.

“Oh shit! You got him to join!” someone exclaimed the second we walked in. “You are the best— and why are you waving your hands like that?”

I turned to look at Kathy behind me and she lowered her arms at an incredible speed, looking sheepishly at me and then glaring at the guy who'd spoken. “Shut up, T. I just invited him over to eat. No joining anything.”

“Have I just followed you naively into a satanist club?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood even though I didn't know what was going on.

“Hah!” said another guy in the room. “Some people _would_ say that.”

I raised an eyebrow and Kathy very nearly squeaked.

“This, uh. This might be the GSA? We hang out together outside the meetings. We haven't even had a meeting this year, yet,” she said, quickly. “I didn't mean to trick you. I just wanted you to get to know us before asking you to join because, well, I'm guessing every single club at school is going to ask you to join, you know.” She bit her lower lip. “Is that okay?”

I looked around the room and smiled. “Yes. Yes, that's fine.”

“It's not as if you were in the closet, right?”

“Shut up, T!” said Kathy, but she was grinning.

*

This new-school thing all started at Dad’s funeral. Dad had become a hero again in his death. His funeral was the kind of thing you’d expect for active A-listers: streets blocked because of the amount of people there to pay their respects and camera crews all over the place. The church was full of heroes in black suits and dresses, still wearing their masks, and I heard eulogies from some heroes I knew but mostly ones I didn’t. Dad had never talked about his time in the League, and I had learned very young not to ask; I was finally getting some of those stories now that he couldn’t be the one telling them.

After the funeral, many people came up to me to shake my hand and offer their condolences, and I thanked them, even though it didn’t sound like the right thing to say.

“Thom, did you know I was your father’s lawyer?” Powerhouse said unexpectedly when she shook my hand.

“Uh, no.” I didn’t even know that she was a lawyer when she wasn’t being a superhero. And I sure as hell didn’t think Dad would have a superhero as a lawyer.

“It was a long time ago, when we were on the same team. He never had any other testament drafted that I know of, though, so it would apply.”

I stared.

“It’s not the right time to talk about this, I know, but—” She reached into her purse and took out a card. “Please call me when you’re ready.”

I avoided reporters and went to Goran’s apartment after the wake. He didn’t say anything and just held me, something I was insanely grateful for. Eventually, he asked if I wanted to go home, and it made me think about Powerhouse because, well, _was_ it home? Was it mine? No one had come to force me out of it, but I didn’t know if it would happen because I had no clue if I could own a house at seventeen.

I slept at Goran’s and then took out Powerhouse’s card the next morning. It turned out her real name was Aliyah Davis and that she worked in what looked like a high-class firm downtown. She tried to make it simple for me, but I wasn’t all there. It boiled down to: Justice had been my godfather, so he would have had control of our house until I was 18, but now that this wasn’t an option, they basically had to find an adult to be my guardian. 

“Because of the situation, we can make it so that the League, as an entity, becomes your legal guardian. You would be able to keep living in your house.”

Of course, part of me wanted to stay in my parents’ house for the memories. But also, part of me really didn’t for that same reason.

“Would I be able to sell it and move, instead?” I answered.

And that’s how I got a League-approved apartment close to the headquarters and changed school districts.

*

I didn’t see Goran as often as I would have liked now that the school year had started again. He worked full-time and was busy taking care of his brother, so it was mostly a weekend thing.

After that first week of school, I crashed at his place Friday night, and he cooked mac and cheese while I did my best to entertain his little brother.

“How’s school?” he asked while his brother was watching TV.

I shrugged and snuggled closer. “There was an argument in my government class about if people with superpowers should be registered and watched.”

“Because registering people based on their differences has always proven wise in the past,” Goran answered calmly.

“See? I wish I had that kind of answer to give. I just… I don’t know. I never know what to say. Ever.”

Goran smiled. “Yeah. It’s part of your charm.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Clearly.” He turned his head and leaned in for a kiss. I considered stopping him to show him I was serious, but I wasn’t and I wanted him to kiss me, so there really was no good reason not to close my eyes and kiss back.

When he pulled away, he continued, “Anything about school that isn’t terrible? Don’t they have a basketball team you can join?”

“I don’t think I really have the time for extracurriculars, since the League can call me in at any time.”

Later that night, when Goran was getting ready to go patrol and I was getting ready to sleep, something popped into my head.

“Oh! Well, I guess I sort of joined the GSA by accident.”

Goran laughed and shook his head.

*

“Hey, Thom! You eating with us today?” asked a guy after English class. He was casual as if I were supposed to know who he was, but I couldn’t place his face or remember his name. Just like I couldn't remember _anyone’s_ name because changing schools in my senior year might not have been brilliant. I decided my objective was to know a hundred names before the end of year —a fifth of my class.

I squinted. “Sorry, are you part of the GSA?”

He made a disgusted face that I only knew too well and answered, “No!”

I raised my eyebrows and tried to look unimpressed, doing my best to basically imitate the way Goran did it. He was pretty amazing at looking unimpressed at things.

“All right, so I guess I’m not eating with you.”

“You’re hanging out with those freaks?” he said, genuinely surprised and confused.

“Who _are_ you?” I finally asked.

“I’m Nathan,” he answered. It must have been obvious I was drawing a blank because he continued, “I’m on the basketball team.”

“ _I’m_ not on the basketball team.” I felt the need to clarify, like maybe he was confusing me with someone else. Someone else also named Thom.

“Yeah sure, for now. But tryouts are next week and you’re totally gonna get in.”

“Ah… uh…. Well, no, not really. I don’t have the time.”

Nathan looked personally offended. “But you have the time to hang out with a group of faggots?”

I flinched and tightened my jaw. “You know I’m gay, right?”

“Sure, but that doesn’t mean you’re a fag, you know?”

Goran would have had a witty retort, something biting and smart. I had nothing though, so I turned and walked away, feeling defeated by some powerless guy that I looked down on because I was at least four inches taller than him.

*

“So, you’re friends with Nathan?” T asked me in the cafeteria. They didn’t have the room where they… where _we_ had GSA meetings every day, but we still all basically sat together anyway.

“Oh! You mean _Champions don’t settle for anything less_?” Kathy interrupted.

“Huh?” I let out, confused.

“We’ve got a game going,” explained Miu. “We’re trying to guess what cliche senior quotes people here are gonna go with. I think Nathan is going to go with _Winners never quit and quitters never win_.”

“I don’t know anyone well enough to play, I think,” I answered, awkward.

“Ignorance is bliss,” Kathy said.

“Great senior quote!” Jason commented further down the table.

“Not friends with Nathan, then?” T asked again, patient and smiling, looking like he 100% enjoyed the company and would never had asked for anyone else.

“No,” I answered simply.

“What did he want?”

“I played varsity basketball last year, so he wanted to know if I was joining the team here.”

“Ooooooh,” Kathy said, “you speak basketballese?”

“Uh. I’m not joining, so… maybe not?”

“I wonder if he was afraid of the competition or starving for a celebrity on the team, so more people would come see the matches.”

“Game,” I corrected automatically.

“You _do_ speak basketballese! Lord save us all,” laughed Kathy.

“He looked like he wanted me to join,” I rushed on, blushing. “But I’m pretty good; I was a top scorer for a while and all. I think he might have just been hoping to, uhm. Make the team better? Not that I’m bragging but…”

T laughed. “Stop being so easy to fluster; you’ll never see the end of it with us.”

“He wouldn’t want a good player on the team for the sake of their skills. Then people might stop showering him with constant attention,” Miu stated matter-of-factly. “So it has to be about you being a celebrity.”

“I’m not that famous,” I said.

The entire table just burst out laughing.

*

Of course, they had all been right to laugh at my credulity and I learned that by showing up at the first official GSA meeting and facing an overflowing room of maybe 60 students.

I could do math fine and knew there had to be more than sixty gay or bi kids in the school, but I also wasn’t naive enough not to realize that a huge chunk of those people were there to gawk at me. Which they were totally doing. They weren’t even trying to be subtle about it.

All the leadership in Kathy rose to the occasion, and she took control of the classroom and gave a lesson on privilege to the two-thirds of the crowd that was straight. The real beauty of it was that, sure, I could tell, and Miu and Vero and Jason and T and all could tell, but she was so good at it that she slipped in just the right amount of jokes that I don’t think any straight kid figured anything out.

I was kind of in awe.

Eventually, I realized that Miu was, too, which, _oh_.

*

“So I have these new friends,” I started and stopped.

“I know you have new friends,” Goran answered after a few seconds. “You talk about them.”

“Not _much_ ,” I said, defensively. I’m not sure why I even was defensive.

“I know their names,” Goran said, smiling.

“You know, like, what, two names?”

“Kathy, Miu, Jason, Yasmine, Tejeshwar –”

“How do you even know T’s full name? Are you spying on me?”

“You mentioned it once.”

“You’re not allowed to remember things so well!” I said, kind of half-serious. It had taken me way too long to learn all of those names; I did kind of feel like it wasn’t fair if Goran knew them all because I might have mentioned them once.

“Okay,” he humored me. “So you have these new friends?”

“They’re not dating,” I continued, a bit reluctant. “But I think they’re both into each other.”

“Miu and Kathy? Yeah, but you can’t do anything about it.”

I pushed him as hard as I could towards the edge of the bed, as if there really was a chance I could make him fall off without having packed up the healing energy of twenty considerable injuries. “Out!” I ordered.

“This is my room,” he pointed out, grinning.

“Nope, forfeited. You are clearly a creepy stalker and so you get the couch!”

*

In November, I missed a day of school for the first time that year. I had been called by the League on Sunday for a horrible situation that lasted until I thought I would drop of exhaustion. I think ten Leaguers at least told me I was the reason no one had died, though, so it was worth it.

And then I went to school the next day and I was called into the vice-principal’s office.

“You never called in your absence, yesterday,” he said, and he was looking serious and menacing. I was mostly deeply confused.

“I’m sorry?” I said, making it a question because I was sincerely asking him if that was the answer he was expecting.

“We tried to reach your pa— I mean— your guardian, but couldn’t get anyone to answer.”

“What number did you use?” I was honestly curious, because I couldn’t remember ever giving the school Powerhouse’s number. And she wasn’t even exactly my legal guardian. I didn’t know all the legalese, though, and didn’t want to dig myself a hole trying to explain the technicalities of my living arrangements.

He read the number to me.

“Oh, yeah, that’s my number. At my apartment. I wasn’t there yesterday.” I said. “Sorry,” I repeated without making it a question this time. Great job, me.

“We’ll need a number to reach your _guardian_. You don’t get special treatment just because of your superpowers.”

I nearly answered that I really wasn’t asking for any special treatment at all, but then… well… I _couldn’t_ really just hand out my legal guardian’s number, could I? And it _was_ for superpowers reasons. He just made it sound like it was unreasonable and so much more work for them. Like I was a nuisance for the school. All because I had missed a day which, I was pretty sure, hadn’t disturbed any class or student.

“I could have her call you?” I suggested. 

He frowned. “That is not acceptable, young man,” he said, patronizing. “I think we’re going to have to schedule a meeting with your guardian.”

He meant it as a threat.

Powerhouse showed up at the school the next day, completely ready to do everything she could to help me out. The vice-principal had not been planning for a suited-up League A-lister to show up and suddenly couldn’t really talk much anymore.

I would have enjoyed the moment more if I hadn’t been so mortified.

Although, on the bright side, the next time I missed a day of school, no one mentioned it.

*

The day of my last midterm exam, Goran came to pick me up at school with his brother.

I waved when I saw him, he waved back, and then Kathy grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards her, eyes wide.

“Oh my god! Do you have a hot older boyfriend with a kid who is somehow even taller than you?” she nearly shrieked.

Miu mouthed, "Sorry," from behind her, but she looked way too amused to mean it.

“Uh, no,” I said.

Kathy was clearly having mixed feelings about my answer. “Are you _working_ on making him your boyfriend?”

“No, no. I mean. He’s already my boyfriend,” I clarified and felt the blood going to my face. “But he’s not older, not really. And that’s his brother. That he’s raising, but _still_ , not a kid. Well he’s a kid, but not a child. Uh—”

“Okay, I’m going to go now,” T said suddenly. “Happy holidays, and see you in a few weeks!”

He nearly ran away, leaving me confounded.

“Oh, poor T. I think you just broke his heart,” Miu said, sincere.

Oh. Shit. Did I still have time to go after him? Even if I did, what would I even tell him?

“Good catch, though,” Kathy said, blatantly staring at Goran who was now walking over towards us, instead of just waiting for me. Too late to go after T and babble stupidly at him. It might have been for the best.

Goran introduced himself to Kathy and Miu, so that I wouldn’t have to do it, like the good boyfriend he was.

“You’re a giant,” Kathy commented while shaking his hand. “ _If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants._ ”

“Isaac Newton?” Goran asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

“She’s trying to guess what your senior quote was,” I told him, laughing.

“It was something Michael Jordan said,” Goran said, smiling.

“Basketballese,” Kathy mumbled, looking away in mock disgust.

*

On our way back to Goran and his brother’s place, Goran told me, “You hadn’t told me Miu and Kathy had gotten together.”

“They haven’t,” I answered.

And he made that _face_ , like he thought I was kind of adorable but also wanted to roll his eyes.

“They haven’t!” I insisted, even though I knew already that he must have been right. That didn’t mean I had to admit anything to him.

“Okay,” he humored me.


End file.
